Good Girls, Bad Boys
by pervball215
Summary: Penny, wanting to cool down from a rough week, decides to walk home with an unfamiliar student. What she does next will surprise everyone involved. (Rated M for BDSM themes. No explicit lemon)
1. The Punishment

Penny/Bomb-guy. (Or, in this story, "Jack")

_{start chapter 1}_

It was in the middle of the afternoon, during lunchtime at the school. Penny Fitzgerald took her seat at the cafeteria table. She took a bite out of her food, surprisingly decent for a school lunch. Gumball, as always, was with his brother a few tables away, too nervous to go and sit with her. He always had a good view of her, but today a student was in his way. Rather, he was sitting across from Penny. He turned to Darwin. "What's that guy from our spring detention doing here?" "Which one?" "The bomb guy." Darwin gasped. "Maybe Principal Brown let him come out here in some sort of indirect revenge for all the stuff we did to him!" "Stuff? Like what?... oh, now I remember." The two boys laid low for the rest of lunchtime.

Meanwhile, Penny was having an interesting conversation with the student who sat with her. "Why are you here?" The bomb-boy went ahead and spoke. "I was just thinking about a very special activity that I need a girl like you for." "What do you mean, 'activity'?" "The kind that requires a girl." Penny knew there was something up. "Anything I should know about this activity of yours?" "It's a really good way to let out some me, has your week been rough so far?" "Eh..." Penny thought about her week. It wasn't going as perfect as she wanted it to. It was usually the little things that stressed her out, then it tended to snowball. It was starting to head in that direction. "Yeah, this week hasn't been so good to me."

The delinquent smirked. "So you'll do it?" "I didn't say that. And why me? Why not another girl?" "Well, you-" The bell rang. Penny noticed the angry frown on the student's face. He growled. "We'll finish this later." "...Okay." Penny quickly got up to throw her trash away and went to class. She wondered what he meant by "activity". _What if it's just totally harmless? Like, on the inside he's a real wimp and he likes kittens or something. Hm. I'll have to ask him more the next chance I get._ And another chance she got. The day passed quickly, and soon the final bell sounded. Outside the school, waiting for the bus, the hot-headed troublemaker found Penny at the stairs. He decided to initiate conversation. "You're a good girl, right? I'm a bad boy."

Penny rolled her eyes at the other student. "You think I'm into 'bad boys'?" "No. I just think that a bad boy like me deserves, well, _punishment_." "Wait, punishment? What do you mean, punishment?" "I can let you come over to my house, I'll explain a few things here and there." The girl was getting irritated. "Do you think that just because I'm a 'good girl', that I'm not smart?" "No, no, no. Not at all. I just want to see you blow off some steam." The boy's attempt at being suave only put her off more. But it drew her in, as well. So she thought she'd play along. She called her parents on her cell, telling them that she'd be staying late after school, and followed the boy to his home.

It wasn't much when they arrived; a couch here, a table there, an upstairs area. _Hey, this is kinda like Gumball's house._ She had no clue what was in store for her. She took a seat on the couch, looking at the one who brought her here. "What was that activity you kept talking about?" "I'd like to talk for a moment beforehand." "You wanted to talk? Is that why I'm here?" "We'll get to something soon. First, I'll talk to you for a sec." "About what?" "You know how I said that I needed punishment earlier? I wasn't talking about a scolding or speech about how what I did was wrong." "So, what, then?" "I need a more rigid punishment." "Rigid? How so?" "I need to be taken down a peg."

She was starting to get the gist of it, and was startled. "You want me to hurt you?" Instead of replying like normal, the stranger went upstairs, leaving Penny to ponder what he had said._He wants to get hurt? And he wants me to do it? I'm not that kind of girl, I'd never hurt anyone!_ The student came back down, carrying a knapsack. He set the sack at the side of the couch, pulling a few items out. Penny was increasingly disturbed at what he had. A leash, a blindfold, a distinct pair of handcuffs, and a ball with straps attached to it. He smiled. "My name's Jack." Penny was about to go into fight-or-flight mode. She stopped when she saw Jack put a cuff on. "This stuff isn't for you... my queen."

Penny's eye twitched. She had never been called 'queen' by anyone. "Quee- you- are you trying to flatter me or something? This is just creepy." "No, it's just that I accept that you're my better. And for that, you can treat me any way you like." "What are you talking about?" "Can you help me get my gear on?" Penny thought for a moment about what Jack had said._Any way I like, huh?_ "What's the magic word?" "...Please?" "Good boy." Penny got a hold of the other cuff, right when Jack put his hands behind his back. The boy chuckled, getting his knees to the ground. "Go ahead. I won't bite." The girl secured the special cuffs around his wrists. She couldn't help but feel that something about this was good.

Sensing that the cuffs were properly fastened, Jack took a deep breath out. "I assume you know what the leash is for." "Be more polite, please." "Okay. Can you put the leash around my neck, _please_?" Penny giggled, knowing she was making such an unruly person say things in a correct way. Loosening the leash, she fit it around Jack's neck, then tightened it until it was secure. She held onto the leash firmly. "You want me to call you by any pet names or anything?" "I can't suggest something to you. I've given myself to you. You own me for now." "Own you!?" Jack kept quiet, motioning to the other items. Going through with it, Penny blindfolded her partner, leaving the last object by itself. She held up the ball with the harnesses. "Where does this go?" Jack said nothing, only opening his mouth.

Throughout this whole time, Penny was starting to feel some sort of unusual excitement. There was something about restraining a boy that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Clearing her head, she took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. She placed the ball in Jack's open mouth, bringing the straps to the back of his head and tightly fastening it. She tried to block her thoughts out, but she gave in, as it was more than just 'fun' for her. She sat down soon after she was finished with Jack. But she was still holding onto the leash. He was in no position to talk. And she could make him do anything she wanted.

She patted the couch. "Come up here, boy." Jack slightly budged, irritating Penny. She tugged the leash a bit hard. "Ahem. I said, _come up here, boy._" The restrained boy moved closer to the couch, but not enough to satisfy his master, making her have to help him up. She looked back at him, who was mostly helpless in his state. And she expressed her discontent out loud. "I didn't know you'd be this useless with all those... devices. You look pathetic." She gasped, covering her mouth. "Oh no! I'm sorry, that just slipped out." She held her bound partner for a few moments. He was still making some struggle and a bit of noise. For some reason, she didn't like it.

The antlered girl stood up, leash in hand. "Okay. Now, I want to see you get off the couch _without_ my help." Jack got up, but started to trip. Before he could wipe out, Penny grabbed him, slowly setting him on the ground. She was disappointed. "At least you got off the couch." _That's just sad. A 'bad boy' like him could do better._ He was at her feet now, in a position that was close to bowing down. She felt some kind of power over him. Gripping the leash, she smiled and had a laugh. "I think I like you this way, boy." She pulled at the leash again. "Now get up." Jack got up, laying against the couch for support. He sat down, tired. Penny was about to give the leash another tug, but there was a low buzzing tone nearby. It was her cell.

Letting go of the leash, Penny pulled out her cell and answered it quickly. "Hello?" The person on the other line was her dad. "Penny, where are you? It's getting late." "Something came up with a friend, but we're both better now. I'm on my way home right now." "Well... just keep safe, will you? Love you, honey." "Bye, dad." She hung up and sat with Jack. "I guess I should help you out with your stuff now." Jack nodded. Bit by bit, Penny stripped off every piece of gear that she put on the boy. She took off the blindfold, next the gag, then the cuffs, and at last, the leash. Jack breathed through his mouth, catching his breath from their session. Once he had cooled down, he laid back.

"Permission to speak, miss." "You may." "Good. Whew... This is your first time?" "My first ti-? Yeah, yeah, it is." "Was it good?" "Oh, yes, it was." "How about tomorrow?" "I dunno, my parents would-" "At school, I mean." "What?" "I'll bring my stuff, and I'll let you use the leash. We'll save the rest for afterwards. Is that good with you?" "Hm... I guess. I'll be going now. See ya." "Goodbye, miss." Penny walked out of the house, noticing her mood had improved, even if slightly. A thought lingered in the back of her head for the rest of the day. _I can't wait to see what he'll do tomorrow._

_{end chapter 1}_

What's up, I'm perv-ball. This is the first story I'm uploading to this site. I hope it's clean _enough_.

Feedback is welcome.


	2. The Leash

**(!This contains a foot fetish scene!)**

_{start chapter 2}_

Penny was in a happier mood than usual this morning. She hummed a tune, walking down the stairs and pecking her dad on the cheek before he went off to work. Sitting at the table, she asked her mother what was for breakfast. Her mom was surprised to see her in such a good mood. "Are you alright today, honey?" "Never been better." "Your father told me that you had to stay late yesterday. Something happen at school?" "No, I got some stuff done and I made a new friend." "That's great! I'm glad to hear that you met someone new." There was a honking sound nearby. Penny's mother looked out the window, then back at her daughter. "There's your bus honey. Sorry that I couldn't get you a lunch again." "It's okay, mom. I'll make it work." Penny grabbed her supplies and walked out the door, eager for the upcoming day.

Boarding the school bus, she immediately saw a familiar face. She walked to a row near the middle of the bus as it took off. She saw the friend she made yesterday, with the knapsack at his side. The girl smiled. "Hey, Ja-" The student covered her mouth. "My name's a secret. Don't just say it out loud." She took his hand off of her mouth and sat beside him. "Moving on, does that sack have in it what I think it has in it?" "Oh, yes." "But we'll only use the... you-know-what today?" Jack spoke in a low tone. "For the school day. What happens next is entirely up to you." Penny quietly chuckled with excitement before the school bus screeched to a halt at the front of the school.

The pair split up, not wanting to attract attention. Well, more attention than they already had. Some of the other students were put off by someone like Penny hanging out with that bomb kid who spent every other weekend in Saturday school. Gumball especially took notice. Not only was someone taking up his girl's spare time, it was someone who hated him as well. He did blow up the guy's head, after all. He thought it over while rummaging through his locker, and deduced that the bomb guy was going out with her. He slammed his locker shut, looking at his brother. "Dude, did you see Penny with the bomb guy on the bus?" "Who didn't?" "I sure did. I hope he's not going out with her or something. I'll give him a piece of my mind if-" Darwin tapped Gumball on the shoulder. Gumball sighed, already knowing what had happened. "He's right behind me, isn't he."

He turned around, expecting the enraged student. What he got was entirely different. The bomb kid was there, and so was Penny. The bomb guy had his usual frown, but didn't look all that angry. "No, we're not going out." Gumball didn't trust his word. "Then what's up with you and her sitting with each other on the bus?" "Did you see how many seats were back there with you? Oh, right, there weren't any." Penny pulled on something, making the bomb kid jerk a bit. "Don't be too harsh, boy. He means well." "Yes, Penny..." "Ahem?" "I mean, yes, miss." "Good boy." The bell rang again. Penny had a giggle. "Well, time for class." She turned to the bomb guy. "I'm too tired to walk on my own. Can you carry me?" "Yes, miss." "Good." The bomb kid bent over, letting Penny hop on his back. He walked off to the girl's class, her in tow. Gumball and Darwin silently stared back at each other, confused at what they just saw. The looks on their face slowly dissipating, they walked to class.

Class tried to go on as usual, but everyone kept looking at the bomb guy, who was standing near Penny's seat and had something around his neck. All the teacher saw was a troublemaker who wasn't in his right class. "Mister... what's your name?" "I don't have a name." "Okay, Mister _Idonthaveaname_." The class held back their chortles. The teacher wasn't too pleased. "Quiet! Now, you, go back to your scheduled class." "I don't have one." "What?" "I just said, I don't have any class." "Then report to the principal's office for assignment." The bomb kid looked at the object hanging from his neck. "Uh..." "Uh, what?" "There's this thing here, and-" Penny loosened something around the kid's neck before he could finish. "There you go." The class stopped and stared while the bomb kid dashed out of the room without a word. Even Miss Simian took a moment to realize something. "Penny? What's that you're holding?"

The girl struggled to come up with something, despite an acceptable alternative to the truth being hard to think of. "Well, um, y'see, he lost a dare." "He lost a dare. And what was the dare?" "That he could... that he could tolerate more of yesterday's school lunch than me." The class had a laugh, cut short by their teacher's shouting. Penny went back to her story. "So, he said that because I won, I get to drag him around for a day." "And he let you drag you around with a leash?" "Yup." Going by the look on Penny's face, Miss Simian could obviously tell something was fishy. "Right. And someone like him wouldn't mind being dragged around?" "Yeah, he's the one who set the conditions for losing." The teacher still felt like Penny wasn't telling the truth. But she let it slide. "Alright, since you sound like you know what you're talking about, I'll let you off with a warning. That stuff doesn't belong in my classroom. Understand?" "Yes, Miss Simian."

After morning class, recess was next. Penny sat at the bench, watching Gumball and Darwin in a corner. Gumball had his eye on Penny as well. He leaned towards his brother. "Darwin, she's looking at me! Do I go and sit with her?" "I dunno. What if she's looking at someone else?" "No, she's looking right at me. I know she is." "But, dude-" Before Darwin could continue, Gumball walked over to the bench Penny was at. He put on a face and tried to act suave. "So, uh... hey, Penny." "Hi, Gumball." "You were looking at me?" "I was just thinking about you..." "Well, uh, me too. Heheh. Great minds think alike, huh?" Penny chuckled, making Gumball melt on the inside. _I made her laugh! She likes me!_ Gumball laughed along with his girl-who-was-a-friend. He sat with her on the bench, ready to move in, when the bomb kid appeared at Penny's side once more.

Gumball was getting frustrated at this point. "When did you get here?" "Just now." Penny turned to the newly-arrived student, pulling out and loosening the leash, strapping it tightly around his neck. He grunted, feeling the the collar tighten up. Penny took a deep breath out, a little upset. "You shouldn't creep up on us like that." "Sorry, miss." "Now, stay quiet and let me talk with Gumball." "Yes, m-" "Your silence started when I said "Gumball"." The bomb kid closed his mouth, now only opening at her say-so. Penny turned back to Gumball. "So, what you were saying before we were so rudely interrupted?" "Uh... I was gonna say, you wanna hang out at lunch?" "Sure. Sounds nice." "Heheh... okay." An uncomfortable silence resonated between the three before Gumball got up and walked back over to his brother, who had seen the whole thing. Penny nudged the bomb kid once the two turned away. She whispered to him in a harsh tone. "Nice job, idiot, you ruined the whole thing." She didn't even bother to say that it slipped out by accident. Jack wasn't mindful of it. "I'm sorry-" "Quiet. You'll have to apologize to him during lunch." The boy nodded, and the lunch bell rang shortly after.

The students hurried for lunch, hungry and tired at this point in the day. Everyone lined up, got their food, and sat down to talk over their day, maybe life in general. Gumball and Darwin took their usual seats. Penny scanned the rows after she got her and her friend some food, finding Gumball quickly. Holding the leash, she and the bomb kid sat down with the brothers, setting the food trays beside each other. Today, the school was serving pizza. It was a favorite amongst the students, even though the lunches were usually detestable. Penny took a bite out of hers, then grabbed her friend's hand before he was able to get his slice. "Can you introduce yourself to Gumball and Darwin?" "Aw, do I have to?" "Yes, you do." "Fine." "What was that?" "...Yes, Miss Fitzgerald." He stuck out his hand towards the two. "I never had a chance to give out my name during that thing a while back. Name's Jack."

Although Gumball considered shaking Jack's hand, he didn't follow through, still holding some sort of grudge for taking up more of Penny's time than himself. Darwin did, however. "Hi, Jack." "Hey, man." Penny elbowed Jack's side. "Do you have anything to say to Gumball?" "Yeah." Jack cleared his throat. "Gumball, I'm sorry for what happened at recess earlier." Gumball took a bite into his pizza, aware of what Jack had just said. "Oh, cool, _Jack_. What was it you did again?" Jack rolled his eyes. "I messed up your conversation with Penny." "And why did you mess up my conversation with Penny?" "Because I came back from the principal's office." "What were you doing in the principal's office?" "Okay, that's pushing it." Penny gave the leash another pull. "Jack, please, be nice." Gumball smugly smiled. "Yeah, _Jack_. Play nice." Jack's fuse started to light up. But Penny, thinking fast, held up the piece of pizza in front of his face. "You want this, right? Then calm down." The fuse stopped.

Penny held the pizza close to Jack's mouth. "Here comes the train, open wide." Jack opened up his mouth, with Penny putting a desirable amount of the piece in before he bit down. The brothers across the table struggled to conceal their laughter. Penny ignored them, keeping her eyes on her partner. "You like that?" Jack talked with his mouth full. "Yeah, that's good." The girl almost frowned at his poor table manners. "Didn't your mother ever tell you it's rude to talk while eating?" Jack looked down, continued to chew his food, then swallowed before apologizing. "Sorry, Miss Fitzgerald." "Sorry for what?" "For being rude at the table while eating." Gumball coughed, almost choking on his pizza, losing his fight to hide an outburst. The other three looked back at him. He regained his composure. "Uh, continue, please." Penny stuck the piece of pizza back in Jack's mouth. "No, I think he did well enough." The bell sounded after Jack finished his pizza, and Penny removed the leash once more before going to class.

After lunch, the rest of the school day passed relatively painless. There weren't any complications for Gumball and Penny, aside from a pop quiz or two. Jack, however, had to deal with a new schedule, issued to him by the principal. Not that he cared; he never paid attention and chatted up anyone unfortunate enough to sit with him. Once the last bell went out, Jack met Penny by her locker. "Hey, Penny." "Hi, Jack. I'd like to talk with you for a few moments." "Yeah?" Penny took the leash back out, hastily putting the collar around Jack's neck before he could do anything about it. She stormed off, the leash and her partner in hand, moving down the hallway until they reached the door to the girl's bathroom. "You've made me_really_ irritated today, Jack!" "What, what'd I do?" Penny gave the leash a harsh tug. "Quiet! You know what you did today!" She saw that Jack still had the knapsack on him and smiled. "And for that, you need to pay." She opened the door, dragged Jack in, then closed it shut.

Now that they were in a secluded spot, Penny knew exactly what to do with her partner. "**On your knees. Now.**" Slightly scared by the girl's stern voice, Jack did as he was told, dropping to the bathroom tile on his knees. Penny grinned, almost sadistically. "Bow." The boy set his elbows on the floor, moving down, now staring at her shoes. Penny giggled. "That's right, boy. You need to know your place when you act up." She brainstormed for something demeaning she could do, something to help her bound friend remember what he deserves for bad behavior. Then she looked down at where the boy was staring. She chuckled, knowing what she'd do now. "Untie one of my shoes, will you?" Jack looked back up, Penny's expression turning once her eyes met his. "I said, _untie the shoe_. Do it **now!**"

Tilting his head down, Jack untied Penny's shoe, going fast so he wouldn't arouse her anger further. He took it off, expecting it to be what Penny would say next. Now he was having a very close encounter with her sock. The girl was finding it funny, even fun, making this rude boy do this to her. "Now take the sock off." In a hurry, the boy removed the sock, taking a look at her foot. It smelled as pleasant as any other foot - as in, not at all. Penny picked up the sack, taking the cuffs out. "Put your hands behind your back." She smiled while the boy did what she told him to. _I've never felt this way before. And I love it so much!_ She handcuffed the boy, his struggling useless. She shifted her weight onto the nearby sink, sticking out her foot in front of his face. What she wanted to do was, simply put, degrading. And she knew she would enjoy every moment. "Lick it."

Jack whimpered, not wanting his tongue to touch something so vile. Penny moved her foot closer to his mouth. "**I told you, lick it!**" He had no other choice. Slowly sticking his tongue out, he moved a bit closer to her foot. This didn't please his owner. "Come on, I don't have all day." Finally, Jack touched her foot with the tip of his tongue, moving it up her sole. He winced, taking in the sour, disgusting taste of her foot. Penny chuckled, half from being ticklish, half from seeing him in this way. "You like that, boy? You'd better. Because you're going to be here for a while." Jack continued to lick his master's foot, going up and down while she laughed and insulted him. "This is the only thing you're good for. Maybe that's why you're such a bad boy, because you're useless at everything else!" Jack dismissed the demeaning words, continuing with his actions.

Over time, Jack started to get used to the taste and feel of Penny's bare foot, although it certainly didn't mean he was liking it any more. He didn't move his hands around anymore, knowing that the cuffs were secure. And he didn't dare think about stopping. The girl bent her foot down, her toes near Jack's mouth. Not pausing, Jack went to sucking and licking the digits as well. Minutes passed, with the boy using his tongue to worship his master's foot. He was getting worn out, and Penny could tell. But she didn't mind, he still had a lesson to learn. At last, Penny stuck as much as she could of her foot into the mouth of the boy. She chuckled and giggled, feeling the boy's tongue and saliva coat her sole and toes. Jack's spit started coming out of the corner of his mouth. Now he was completely tired out.

Feeling like the delinquent had learned his place, Penny stuck her foot out of his mouth. She looked down at the boy, breathing hard and slow. Their eyes met again, then she spoke. "You should've seen the look on your stupid face, wimp. Now get up without me having to hold your hand like a baby." Penny grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser, drying off her foot, watching Jack try and get up with his hands behind his back and his face to the floor. She got her sock and shoe back on by herself, when Jack had just gotten up to his knees. Penny got back in front of him, raising his chin. "Do you know your place now?" "Yes, yes, Miss Fitzgerald!" "And you won't act out of place again, will you?" "Yes, never, Miss Fitzgerald!" "That's a good boy." She took off the cuffs, placing them in the sack, and grabbing the leash again. "Now get your sorry butt up, we've got to get to the bus. We've probably missed it because of you." Jack, standing on two legs again, knew better than to speak against her.

The bus hadn't left yet, and the two got on. Penny was pleased that her partner had both pleasured her and learned his lesson. _I'm starting to like having him around! Maybe I could invite him home, he could meet mom and sis..._ Jack was just happy to get away from Penny's grasp for a bit. _I didn't know that she'd be so rough like that. And here I thought she was a good girl._ The sour taste lingered in his mouth. He held back the urge to spit. _I really should brush my teeth or something when I get home._ The bus dropped off Jack at his house. He walked through the door, reaching behind his back, when he panicked. _My sack!_ Penny arrived at her home, an unknown sack in her hand, along with her usual supplies. Setting her things by the wall, she gazed into the sack, filled with more goodies than what Jack brought out yesterday: a whip and straps were only starters. _My week just got a whole lot better._

_{end chapter 2}_

I don't actually have a foot fetish. Honest.

Feedback is welcome.


	3. The Moods

(This chapter contains whipping and profanity at the end)

_**{start chapter three}**_

Along had come a nice, lush Saturday morning in Elmore. A boy named Jack had opened his eyes, awakening from a light sleep. He moved around in his bed, pondering whether or not to get up and do something. As much as he hated doing menial tasks such as brushing his teeth, he thought he'd need it for once. He licked around his mouth, wincing at the revolting taste. _Ugh. Tastes like feet._ He got a foot out from under his sheets, but stumbled and fell flat on the floor. He moaned in slight pain. _That's just great. Nice way to start off your morning, moron._ He hoisted himself up, grunting from the short fall. He shambled down the hallway and into the bathroom, opening up the medicine cabinet that was behind the mirror. The toothbrush his mother always told him to use was still in its package. For once in years, he got the package open, grabbed the toothbrush, ran in under some cold sink water, then gently started to brush his sensitive teeth. Years of candy and a poor diet hadn't worked wonders on his incisors.

Taking a few moments to get the areas he thought were most affected, he moved his tongue throughout parts of his mouth and spit out. He didn't even care about the very small trace of blood from that had no doubt trickled out of his gums. He just wanted the taste of _her_ feet out. Now he wanted to talk to her again. She'd probably be all defensive and say it was his fault. But then again, it probably was. He moved downstairs, into the family room. His mom was still asleep, and his dad was likely at a hotel; simply put, his mother didn't like his father. The boy put some minor thought into it, but tossed it aside quickly, not wanting to dwell on family drama. He had his own problems. Picking up the phone, he looked through the nearby yellow pages for Penny's family. _Foster, Frank… Harrison? I've went too far. Good job, stupid… ok, here it is. Fitzgerald._ The bomb boy dialed the number, sitting through the tone. He got an answer quickly.

"Hello? Who's this?"

"Hey, I'm Jack. I'm a friend of Penny's."

"Jack? Are you a boyfriend?"

Jack quickly deduced that he was speaking to Penny's father.

"No, mister. I'm just a friend. Is she up yet?"

"Yeah, she is. In fact, I've heard some strange noises up in her room. I'd ask myself, but I'm a little busy right now."

"Are you too busy to let me come over?"

"Come over? Are you nu- uh, crazy?"

"C'mon, please?"

"No."

"Do I have to bake you a cake or something?"

"I've had that happen before, thank you very much."

The boy heard some noise on the other end of the phone, then some muffled voice. The father spoke.

"You're in luck. It's Penny. You wanna talk to her?"

"Yeah, sure."

Jack heard some more distinct chatter before the rumbling of the other phone gave way to Penny's voice.

"Hi, Jack. What's up?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just that my sack's been missing."

Jack could hear Penny's sigh.

"Jack, I'm really sorry about yesterday. It's just that I've been in an icky mood recently."

"Then you could just talk to me instead of making me suck your fe-"

"C'mon, Jack. We can talk about this in person, can't we?"

"I'd love to, but your dad-" "Don't worry. He's done it before with another boy. How about later today?"

"You haven't asked him yet."

"He'll say yes to his daughter."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure. See ya."

"But wait-"

The other line went silent for a second, then a familiar beeping was heard. Jack growled quietly, then spoke under his breath.

"Of all the days…"

Around the same time, at Penny's house, she was having a discussion with her father about the boy who had just called.

"Dad, don't worry. He's really a nice boy."

"But, Penny, this kid isn't Gumball. I know about him. I don't want you to fall in with his kind of crowd. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah, dad. But-"

"Unless he really is a nice guy, and he can show that he can make a turn-around, I don't care if he likes hugging puppies at the shelter - he's still a troublemaker."

"He can still come over, right? I can make him show you he can be good."

"You can _make_ him show me? How?"

Penny realized her poor choice of words while Mr. Fitzgerald stared back at her, his eyes caring but cold.

"What I meant was, uh, he's good at following orders."

"He is? What about his school performance?"

"We're working on that."

"Hm…"

Mr. Fitzgerald put some thought into his final decision. As much as he hated troublemakers and ne'er-do-wells, his daughter said the boy could be good.

"Alright, Penny. Just this one time, I'll let him come over. If he can't show that he can be good, he won't take a step in this house."

"Okay. Thanks, dad."

"You're welcome, sweetie."

Penny gave her father a hug before picking up the phone and pressing the redial button.

Back at Jack's house, the boy was startled by the ringing of his phone. He got up quickly and answered it, not wanting to wake his mother.

"Who's there?"

"Jack? It's me, Penny. Dad says he'll let you come over today."

"Really? He did?"

"Yeah. So, what time sounds good?"

"I dunno… how about three p.m.?"

"Three in the afternoon sounds alright to me."

"Okay. See you at three. Bye."

"Bye."

Jack hung up the phone, unsure how to feel. _I'll be able to see her again. Maybe I'll get my sack back, too. But her dad didn't sound too friendly. And she might go nuts on me like yesterday…_

He did his best to wait between that time and three p.m. His mother awoke during that time, but she didn't mind him - she just went into the kitchen and grabbed some of her 'special' soda to sip on. Jack didn't even bother telling his mom about Penny. She probably wouldn't even care. He played video games, watched TV, doing anything he could to keep his mind occupied between then and three. He didn't dare touch his mother's supply of soda, though. She wouldn't be happy.

When three o'clock finally arrived, Penny's father pulled up in front of the house, honking the horn. Jack's mother covered her ears.

"Gah! Who's that moron out there? Tell 'em to shut up, kid."

Jack decided that now was the time to tell his mom.

"Hey, mom? I've got a friend, and-"

"Yeah, that's nice."

"I'm not done. I'm going over to their house today, and-"

"Mmm-hmm. Whatever, have fun or something."

Jack frowned angrily at his mother's obviously careless response.

"Yeah, mom. I'm going now. Bye."

"Whatever. If you see your dad, tell him to get some diapers for you and him."

Without another word, Jack stormed out of the house, frustrated by his own mother. Back in the house, the mother brushed off her son's attitude and took another swig of her beverage.

"I hate kids. Almost as much as I hate my husband."

The boy was in a pretty awful mood when he stepped into Mr. Fitzgerald's car. And Fitzgerald couldn't help but notice.

"Hey, you're Jack, right? Penny's friend?"

Jack put his seatbelt on, then crossed his arms.

"Yeah."

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's personal. You don't have to worry."

Fitzgerald was off-put by the boy's attitude. But he had some sort of hope that his daughter's new friend could turn it around.

"You excited to see Penny?"

"Yeah. I guess."

Mr. Fitzgerald didn't like where this was going. He drove off, the boy with the sour mood in tow. They arrived at Penny's house moments later. Jack stepped out of the car and walked up to the porch, knocking on the door. Penny answered.

"Hi, Jack! How's it going?"

The boy with the bomb for a head grumbled indistinctly. Penny sighed.

"Jack, please, speak up. It's rude to mumble."

"Alright… I'd like to come in first."

"Sure. This way."

Penny held the door open for her new friend, who was impressed. His house was nothing like this.

"I could get used to staying here."

The girl chuckled.

"I bet you could. Hey, wanna meet the rest of my family?"

"Sure. Why not."

Penny could notice something about her new friend.

"You look kinda… sullen. I mean more so than usual. Something wrong?"

"Nah, it's ok. You'd get bored."

"I'm a good listener. Don't worry, you can tell me."

"It's not that big of a deal. You said you wanted to introduce me to your family?"

Penny wanted to know more about him, but she thought she'd ask later. He clearly wasn't in the mood for it.

"Sure. I'll tell them that you're here. You can sit on the couch."

"Yeah. Sure."

"Oh… and I'm sorry about yesterday. I was mad about something else."

"Uh-huh."

Penny still wasn't a fan of the way Jack was behaving. _I'll have to take matters into my own hands if he doesn't shape up._ But she set her own attitude aside and called her mother.

"Hey, mom? I've got a friend who wants to see you."

Mrs. Fitzgerald arrived in a short time. Jack was expecting to be criticized or yelled at, like his own mother would usually do. But Penny's mom wasn't like Jack's mom. She sat next to Jack on the couch.

"Hi there. It's exciting to see that Penny's made a new friend!"

She stuck out her hand.

"What's your name?"

The boy was unsure whether or not to shake hands. Yes, she seemed nice enough, but he learned from Penny firsthand that just because people seem nice doesn't mean that they are.

"I'm Jack. I don't like shaking hands."

Mrs. Fitzgerald was saddened by his response.

"Why not? Is something wrong?"

"I just don't like shaking hands."

"That's it? You just don't? C'mon, I won't bite or anything."

"I'm good."

Penny's mother withdrew her hand, alienated by the bomb-kid's response.

"Alright then. If that's it, I'll be going."

Mrs. Fitzgerald went back upstairs. Penny was agitated by Jack's behavior.

"Jack, what was that? Did you see how my mom looked when you told her that stuff?"

"Yeah, I did."

"Something's wrong."

"Yeah. I'm bad, aren't I?"

Penny, in a fit of irritation that was completely out of her character, elbowed him in his side.

"Anyone ever tell you that you shouldn't act like that when you're at a guest's house?"

"You're sounding like my mother now."

The girl was starting to get mad now. Her fuse was shorter than usual this week. And Jack could tell.

"I haven't seen you get that mad before. There's something up with you, too."

"I'll tell you later. Right now, you'll get to meet my little sister, ok? And don't be a jerk."

"Yeah, yeah…"

Now Penny was getting tired of the boy's behavior. She did her best to keep her calm. _It's ok, Penny. Just calm down, he'll get better. I hope I just won't have to make him better._

Penny walked out back to where her sister was playing. They arrived back in, the little girl holding her older sister's hand. She took one look at the boy on their couch.

"Penny, who's him? He looks scary."

Jack heard it, and he didn't want this today. So he did something that would tip the scale. He hissed at her. Penny's sister hid behind her older sister's shell, scared. That was the last straw for Penny.

"Jack, what's wrong with you!? You didn't have any reason to do that!"

"Whatever."

Rather than say anything else, she grabbed his arm tight. The boy was caught off guard.

"Hey, what's up with you?"

"Don't tell me that. C'mon, you're going upstairs with me."

She dragged the delinquent upstairs with her while her father watched. He knew that Penny's friend couldn't be trusted. So he didn't do anything to help that troublemaker out. He then went to comfort his younger daughter.

Now, Penny and Jack had just arrived in the girl's room. She pushed him onto her mattress.

"If you can't act like a good boy, I'll make you!"

"Does it look like I care about being 'good'?"

"Did you completely forget about yesterday!?"

"Now you sound exactly like my mom."

"…That's it. That's **it**!"

Penny sulked towards the bed, reaching under it and pulling out a familiar knapsack. Jack immediately recognized it.

"Hey, my sack. Thanks for stealing it from me."

"Quiet!"

"Why? You're gonna make me shake your mom's hand?"

Within seconds, Penny made it clear that her intentions were less than pure. She had gotten out the cuffs.

"Hold out your hands."

Jack held his hands behind his back, giving Penny a good chance to cuff them. But she wouldn't do it, not yet anyways.

"I'm not stupid."

"Come on, show me them!"

"No."

"You're acting just like a little kid."

"I'm not the one yelling and whining abou-"

The girl unleashed her anger not in words, but in actions. She moved quickly and cuffed Jack's hands before he could do anything about it. He was about to shout for help when Penny pulled out the gag and forced it in his open mouth. Now his muffled shouts were heard by no one. The antlered girl was seething, getting out some of her pent-up anger.

"You're right, Jack. This _is_ a good way of relieving stress."

She pulled something else out of the sack.

"I've got something new for us."

It was a whip. Jack was mortified while Penny forced him to face the mattress. Penny gripped the whip tight.

"You're not gonna forget this lesson."

She raised the whip, thinking twice about what she was going to do. Both times, she came up to the same conclusion - she needed this.

In one fell swoop, Penny struck down upon her captive's back, causing him to try and scream out in pain, but he wasn't heard - the gag stifled his verbal reaction. Penny felt sorry for him, seeing the bruise start to form on his back and hearing his attempts to plea for mercy. But it felt good somehow. She was never given such power over a person. And she wouldn't relinquish it any time soon. Despite her conscience telling her otherwise, she gave in to this newfound power and raised the whip again.

"Hope you're ready for round two… ngh!"

Penny struck him again, but this time she went softer. She didn't want the noise of the whip attracting any attention, nor did she need to hear the boy's muffled shouts. But its effect was little - Jack still shouted, and the whip made another distinctive cracking noise. With that, Penny decided that she should stop. Although her darker side was telling her to keep going, she knew it wasn't good - she could end up hurting him severely with this "lesson". But she had to give him a message before she let him loose. She turned him around, looking into his eyes just like at the end of their last meeting.

"Make any noise when I take this thing out of your mouth and I'll make you wish you had never acted bad in your life. Understand?"

A worried and frightened look on his face, Jack nodded his head repeatedly. Penny went along and unfastened the gag. Once it was off, the boy took a few deep breaths, trying not to make any sounds that would anger his new owner. He sat back on the mattress, Penny taking the spot next to him. The antlered nut spoke before he could.

"Jack, this'll sound stupid considering what we just did, but… I'm really sorry. About today and yesterday."

She remembered her own order and went on.

"I wasn't mad at you, exactly. Well, okay, I _was_ mad at you, and I shouldn't do that when I'm mad at something else. But this week has just been tough. Can I tell you something?"

Her partner nodded again. She exhaled, then told Jack why she was having such a bad week.

"Dad had his pay reduced at his job. He hasn't been making a lot of money in the first place, and it's hard to buy supplies when your family doesn't have enough to buy with. Then Gumball has been acting really… don't tell him I said this, but he's been irritating. He runs his mouth, he acts silly, he's barely anything like he was a long time ago. I wonder what happened. It's like… someone re-wrote his character or something. I don't know what it is, maybe puberty."

Jack looked down. He had something to say, but wasn't sure. Penny could tell.

"You can talk now."

"Okay… you're crazy. That stuff really hurt, y'know."

"I think I get that. But what's been going on with you? You've been nasty since you walked in."

The troublemaker sighed.

"I can tell you… but don't tell anyone else."

"You got it."

"It's my mom."

There was some silence for a few seconds, broken by Penny.

"What's wrong with your mom?"

"It's like she doesn't care about me. All she cares about is the soda she drinks."

"…Soda?"

"Yeah. Soda. Well, I think it's soda."

"If it's not soda, what do you think it could be?"

"I don't know… but I want her to snap out of it."

"Hm. Maybe you could show her how much her son loves her. I bet that'll get you on her good side."

"Well… I dunno. That _could_ work."

"Give it a try. I'm sure she'll appreciate you for what you'd do for her."

"Yeah. Yeah, I like the sound of that. And one more thing."

"Yes?"

"Why'd you have to hit me so hard with that whip? I'll bruise for weeks!"

"Oh dear, I forgot about that. Use some ice and get plenty of rest. Ok?"

"Mm-hmm."

"What?"

"Yes, Miss Fitzgerald."

Penny flashed a smile.

"Good boy."

There was a knocking on the door. Uninvited, Penny's father went in.

"Honey? I think it's time for your friend to go."

"Huh? We were just starting to know each other better."

"Did you talk about how he can apologize for his behavior earlier?"

Penny looked at Jack, then back at her dad.

"Yeah, we have."

"Are you sure?"

"Yup. He's just about ready to do it, too. Right, Jack?"

Jack tried to smile. Tried to.

"Yeah, Mr. Fitzgerald. I was gonna go and say I was sorry to them."

Mr. Fitzgerald didn't trust him.

"Don't make it a fake apology. Show me that you mean it for real. Then I'll consider you being with her."

"Yes, mister."

"Good. Now get downstairs and tell them."

Not a word out of his mouth, Jack went out of the room, Penny at his side. They walked downstairs, where Penny's mother and sister were on the couch. Mr. Fitzgerald stood in front of them.

"Hey, everyone? Penny's friend has something to say. What is it?"

Fitzgerald gave a stern look to the delinquent who was with his daughter. Jack hurried up to the front.

"Hey. I'm really sorry about how I acted early. Really. I hope you can forgive me. Shake on it?"

Jack held out his hand. Mrs. Fitzgerald eyed him in a distrustful way, but shook his hand.

"Please, don't act that way again."

"I promise, miss."

He looked at the little girl.

"I shouldn't have hissed at you like that. Sorry."

"I'm okay now."

"You accept my apology?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Yeah. I was mad at something, I didn't need to take it out on you guys."

Mr. Fitzgerald had gotten tired of having the boy around.

"OK, Jack? You think you want to go home now? It's been over half an hour. Your parents must be worried sick about you."

"I think I can stay for a bit longer."

"You want me to take you home? I'll be happy to drive."

Rather than make the father angrier, Jack accepted.

"I guess I can go home now."

"Good. C'mon, out to the car."

Fitzgerald and Jack walked out of the house and got into the family car, driving off. Penny, watching them leave, was torn by how quickly her father got her friend off of the premises. _I didn't even get to say goodbye._

A few short minutes later, the Fitzgerald's car stopped in front of the house where Jack lived. The boy got out, thanking the father for letting him stay. He thanked him because he had to, not because he wanted to. After he said his goodbyes, he went into his house to find his mother on the couch. She looked like she had just woken up. She noticed him walk in.

"What the fu-! **Where have you been, kid!?**"

"I was with a friend. I told you earlier."

"You're lying again. I don't remember that."

Jack heard her speech - it was slow. He heard it enough times before to recognize what it was. Then he looked at their coffee table. There were more than a few cans of her special soda on it.

"You've been drinking that stuff again."

"So what? It's a free country, I can do what I want!"

The son was about to lash out, then thought about Penny's advice.

"Hey, sorry, mom. Anything I can do to help you out?"

"Oh, you wanna help out for once, you lazy bum? Get your mother another bee- _soda_ and leave me alone!"

"Okay, fine!"

Jack went into the kitchen, opened the fridge, grabbed a few cans crudely labeled "SODA", and put them on the coffee table in front of his mother.

"There. Happy?"

"Jesus Christ, just shut up and let me drink, kid! God…"

Jack didn't like it when his mom cursed in front of him. He sourly lowered his head and turned to the staircase.

"You're welcome, mom."

He went up the stairs and to his room, realizing he forgot about his sack. But it didn't matter now. His mom was drinking again.

_**{end chapter three}**_

Sorry that this looks so long. I tried something new and spaced out the dialogue. Hope it's easy to read.

Feedback is welcome.


	4. The Reveal

_**{start chapter 4}**_

The following Sunday came and went, just like any other day. Jack still had his mother, who wasn't very fun to talk to. And he wouldn't even dare call up Penny again. His back was still sore. Penny was also feeling a bit down. Her father's pay reduction was starting to hit them harder. They could still afford what they needed, but certainly not what they wanted. What Penny wanted most? A set of gear like Jack's. She felt like she needed some new toys to play with, and she wasn't thinking about puzzles or innocent playthings. She knew she'd have to wait, perhaps save up what money she had from her allowance and petty jobs like babysitting. But for now, she kept her mind focused on the days ahead. School this week was going to be no picnic. It was testing week. Not a major challenge, but nowhere close to easy. Her cravings for more like what she did to Jack weren't growing by any rate, although she admitted to herself it felt more than just good.

Monday arrived faster than anyone expected. Before heading off to school, Jack wore something he hadn't in ages. He picked out a black turtleneck sweater. Despite the sweltering heat, it was the only item of clothing that could hide the bruises that had formed on his back. His mother was still in bed when the bus arrived. This time, he took a separate bus to avoid Penny. His friend, the pink bear he had endured countless detentions through, was at the back. They bumped fists once the bomb-headed boy took his seat with his friend. Jack kick-started the conversation, wanting to talk with a friend he hadn't been with in days.

"Hey, bro. Long time, no see."

"Yeah. It's been, like, two or three days… what's with the stupid sweater? It's like, a ka-jillion degrees outside."

"Personal junk. It's stupid."

"What do you mean, 'personal junk'?"

The bear felt his friend's cotton-patted elbow in his side.

"What I mean is that it's none of your business."

Jack said it with an irritated demeanor. The pink bear rubbed his side.

"Okay, jeez. Just asking a question."

Then, the bear remembered something he heard about his friend last week.

"Y'know, I heard a funny rumor on Friday."

Jack's expression went from bad to worse.

"What kind of rumor?"

The pink bear didn't want to test his partner's patience.

"Uh, nothing, man. Hey, look, we're at school now."

The boy wasn't excited in the slightest - it was nothing but tests the whole week. He wanted to distract his friend for a few brief moments. Jack took the bait.

"Oh, shoot. It's EAST test week."

The E.A.S.T. Whatever the acronym meant, it was something to do with standardized testing. Something the both of them didn't fret about - they'd just fill out any random blanks. On another bus, however, Penny was getting nervous. She told Leslie all about it.

"Leslie, just because it isn't put in our grade books doesn't mean it won't be graded."

"Penny, please. You'll do just fine. I'm sure you'll pass with flying colors."

The flower child flashed a quick, hopeful smile to cheer his cousin up.

"It'll be okay. Really."

Penny chuckled, returning Leslie's smile with one of her own.

"Thanks, Leslie. You're such a nice boy…"

She hoped Gumball wasn't watching any of this; she was lucky, as he was fiddling around with his brother. He wouldn't get all jealous and icky like last time. She did her best to shove her thoughts aside while their bus arrived at the school building. The bus ride was as slow as it usually was, and everyone had to hurry to class in order to avoid being late. Penny didn't even have a chance to chat up Gumball, or at least Jack. Mere seconds before the bell sounded off, the students in Miss Simian's class got to their seats. Their teacher looked as joyful as she usually would during these kinds of weeks. She loved watching her students' agony while they took the long, boring tests.

"Alright, class, you all know what week it is. To-the-last-bell, nonstop testing on multiple subjects! Tests are put on hold during lunch breaks."

She snickered after hearing all her pupils groan. _I love standardized testing week,_ she thought. Miss Simian got out the long stack of papers and booklets, setting them on the side of her desk.

"Alright, come and get your materials."

One by one, the students went up to the teacher's desk, grabbed their work, and sat back down. The teacher got a timer out, setting it on the desk.

"You have an hour and a half to complete your tests."

Penny could already tell that this was going to be a long day. _Okay, Penny, no reason to worry. You'll do fine, yeah! Time'll pass if we get right to work._

So, without much pause, Penny went ahead and started her test. In another classroom, Jack ignored every single thing the teacher said, got his materials mindlessly, and just started circling random answers. He didn't do it too quickly, just to make sure his teacher wouldn't get suspicious.

It couldn't have gone any slower, for everyone involved. Except the teachers, of course. Penny had no struggle with the questions. Jack had no care for the questions. Phase one of the testing had been over, and phase two was interrupted by the lunch bell. All the students got up and left, thankful that they were able to move and get some food. Jack did his best to avoid Penny on the way to the cafeteria. He found his pink friend, got their food, then sat on one side of the lunchroom - far away from Penny. The bomb-guy went right along with talking.

"So, how's testing?"

"Stupid and boring."

"I hear ya."

Then, without much fanfare, the cupcake student from the earlier year's spring break detention sat with the two.

"What's up, nerds?"

Jack tried not to roll his eyes.

"I dunno, dipwad. How's your girlfriend? Heheh, oh, wait, she dumped you. Never mind!"

The two boys snickered while the rotten cupcake thought of something to top the bomb-kid's rather lackluster insult.

"At least she didn't put me on a leash, dog-boy."

Jack stopped his laughter while his angry stare reared its head.

"What was that, horse-breath?"

"You heard me. Dog-boy. Why don't you go bark at your nutty girlfriend? Arf, arf!"

The cupcake laughed while Jack rolled up the sleeves of his turtleneck.

"Those sound like fighting words."

The pink bear whispered fiercely at his partner.

"Dude, are you nuts? The principal said that if we get into one more fight, we're expelled!"

"Pff. Since when do we care about what the principal says?"

"Your mom wouldn't like that."

"Yeah, well, _your_ mom wouldn't like that either!"

"What does my mom have to do with this?"

"You brought up my mom, so I-"

An "ahem!" silenced all three. Jack recognized who it was instantly - it was Penny. The cupcake student was ready to rub it in the bomb-boy's face.

"Oh, look who it is, 'Miss Uh-oh Pistachios'. We were just talking about you."

Penny didn't mind the rather terrible 'insult'.

"What kind of nickname is 'Uh-oh Pistachios'?"

"Well, you're _nuts_. Heh! How'd that one feel?"

The girl rolled her eyes; not that the rotten cupcake could tell through her shell anyways. She turned to Jack and his friend.

"Hey. You don't want to sit next to this guy, do you?"

Although Penny was one of the last people in the world he'd want to hang out with the moment, Jack figured it'd be better than beating the icing off of the student and getting expelled.

"Yeah, whatever. Let's go, man."

The cupcake student laughed, poking fun at Jack, Penny, and the bear while they got out of their spots, moving instead to another table with some of Penny's friends. Jack really didn't want to sit next to Penny or any of her friends, but he didn't have much of a choice. He sat and ate his food silently and sullenly with the pink bear while the other girls stared. Penny thought it would be a good idea to introduce them.

"Okay, girls. This is, uh, bomb-guy. And… what's your name?"

The pink bear didn't even look up at the girls when he made his annoyed statement.

"Dave."

The boys ate their food and finished quickly. They took their time disposing of their food trays, stopping once they got to the trash can. Jack put his tray in first, then sighed.

"Ever feel that you were acting… out-of-character?"

"What're you talking about?"

"Like back there, on a normal day, I'd have beat that cupcake nerd to a pulp. But no, I just pouted and… listen to me. I sound like a wimp."

"What's your deal?"

"Penny."

"…Penny? That's it?"

"Yup. Penny."

The pink bear held back a chuckle.

"You're in a bad mood because of her? Please! You're a guy, she's a girl. You're tougher than her. You don't have to take stuff from her."

The bomb guy smiled dastardly.

"Yeah. I don't have to take junk from a girl."

"That's it, man. Let's go and show them what we're made of."

"Heh. I should let you come up with plans more often."

Dave smiled at his friend's offer.

"Really?"

"No."

The bear's smile went away, then they returned to the table. Penny was grinning as usual during lunch with her friends. Jack took a seat next to Penny, which delighted her.

"Oh, hey, Jack! What's up?"

The girls looked at the delinquent. They never knew his name, even though word always got around about what he did. Time itself seemed to pause in the lunchroom. Just as quick as it came, the feeling dissipated with Jack nudging Penny's side.

"I thought I told you not to say my name!"

The boy fudged a smile while Penny rubbed her side. It didn't hurt, but she still felt it. She sighed.

"Oh, you were doing so good…"

Some of the girls looked shocked that the boy would even think about hitting Penny. Jack was about to have an outburst when the bell rang. Everyone at the table couldn't be any more anxious to leave. Jack stormed out of the lunchroom, Dave tailing him. He thought he was in the clear, for now at least. Then Dave felt something at his side. It was Gumball, one of the boys they served detention with one time. He growled.

"What do you want, daby?"

"Hi. Uh…"

Gumball didn't even blink when the other student, the one who he wanted to talk to, turned around with eyes that were filled with hatred.

"Shut up."

"But-"

"Shut up! I don't have time."

Dave went ahead and joined in.

"Yeah. You heard him, we don't have time for your kiddie stuff, dweeb."

Gumball was scared, but pressed on to ask the bomb-headed delinquent a question.

"Why'd you have to hurt Penny like that?"

Jack turned around and scoffed, speaking in a childish demeanor.

"Aw, you wanna know why I hurt your widdle giwlfwiend like that?"

His accent turned serious quickly.

"I didn't even leave a mark. And you think Penny's all sunshine and rainbows? You don't know her like I do."

Before Gumball could get anymore, Jack trotted off with his partner, who was also intrigued by what he had said. Dave had one more thing to say before they headed back off to more testing.

"What was that about Penny?"

"Nothing. It's stupid. I shouldn't have brought that up."

"C'mon, man-"

"Let's just get to class and finish this stupid testing. We'll talk later."

Jack hurried off to his class before the bell rang, hoping that the day would end soon. He grabbed the materials and filled out answers randomly again, but this time with more drive. An angry drive. Fueled by a hatred of all things Penny.

Some time later, the final bell rang and Jack was starting to feel somewhat better about what happened earlier. _Heh, I sure showed her not to mess with me. I wonder how she liked that jab._ He was at his locker, reveling internally at his 'success'. The feeling of grandeur would be put down by his own friend, Dave, as he approached his partner.

"Ok, dude, something's up with Penny that you're not telling me."

"What's it to you?"

"I know you. You wouldn't hit a girl unless they hit you first."

"I didn't _hit_ her, I _elbowed_ her! There's a difference. And I'd totally hit a girl."

"So? Look, man, we're friends. We're cool with each other. But what did Penny do to you that made you so… not like you?"

Jack sighed heavily, knowing there wasn't a better answer. How would he tell his friend about what Penny did to him?

"I'll tell you… later. On the bus."

"And not now?"

"Eh… I'll explain later."

Before Dave could shoot his friend another question, the boy hurried off. The pink bear grumbled to himself. Then he heard a noise. It sounded like something was being hit. But he decided not to investigate it. He went out to the bus stop and waited for Jack. Inside the school building, however, all was not well.

_(Some time later)_

Jack woke up. He felt an incredible pain in the back of his head.

"Uuugh… what happened…"

Slowly regaining his composure, he realized that he was in the locker room, lying face down on one of the benches. His hands and feet felt… bound together. His sweater was rolled up as well. Before anything else became apparent, he felt a sharp pain on his back, causing him to react.

"**AAAGH!**"

He knew what was happening now - he was being attacked. And he could figure out who.

"P-Penny?"

Another jolt of pain replaced reason with agony. Penny was behind him, holding the whip she had become accustomed to.

"Jack, didn't your mother tell you not to hit girls?"

Raising the whip again, she struck down with great force, taking a sort of sadistic pleasure from Jack's screams.

"I was beginning to think that you took our last lesson to heart… I thought wrong."

Another whipping, another scream that no one would hear. Penny was starting to laugh a bit.

"Heheh… I suppose you're wondering why you're not wearing the gag."

The thought hadn't even entered Jack's head, but he was in no position to complain, even speak about now. Penny went ahead.

"Very well. Ever since I started school here, I wondered what a bully's screams and shouts were like. There aren't a whole lot of boy bullies here. Jamie and Tina are tough as nails, they aren't the type to cry. You, on the other hand…"

She ran her hand across Jack's face, which had just streamed a single tear. She wiped the tear off with her finger.

"You're just about made of paper-mache. Like Gumball. I like that."

"D-don't compare me to that dork- **AAGH!**"

The whip's crack and pain silenced Jack. Penny showed no compassion.

"Wrong answer, Jack! This lesson is going to take some time…"

—

Meanwhile, at the bus stop, Dave was getting frustrated by Jack's failure to show up. _Come on, man, where are you at?_

He noticed the Watterson boys, Gumball and Darwin, walking out of the school. He got in their way.

"Hey, you two. You're friends with Penny, right?"

The boys, instead of giving a verbal reply, nodded, not wanting to say anything to tick him off. Dave continued on.

"You're coming with me."

Not wanting to get pummeled into next week, Gumball and Darwin hastily and cautiously followed the pink bear inside the school. The two brothers stared back at each other. After walking together for a few minutes. Gumball had to inquire.

"Where are we going?"

The menacing student turned to face the boys.

"Did Penny say anything about Jack?"

"Heheh. Uh, who's Jack? I don't know anyone named Jack."

"Don't tell me that. You know his name. I bet you know how he hangs out with Penny, too."

Gumball knew. He didn't want to acknowledge it.

"I had no idea he was going ou- uh, I mean, hanging out with Penny."

"Going out? He's not doing that. Did you see how he was in the lunchroom?"

"You mean where he hit her?"

"No!"

Silence gripped the three of them. Dave crossed his arms.

"Look. I'm worried about my buddy, you two are worried about me beating you two senseless. Am I right?"

The boys nodded once again. Dave wanted to wrap this up quickly; the less time dawdling, the faster he could find Jack.

"Alright. First, let's check out the principal's office."

Gumball was confused as to why the delinquent would say something like that.

"Why?"

"Duh. If Principal Brown's not in his office, he could catch us walking around. And you know how tight the rules get during test week. Capisce?"

The Watterson boys replied with one last nod before following Dave to the principal's office. The bear put a finger over his mouth before putting his ear on the door. The three of them were lucky; Principal Brown was with Miss Simian at the moment.

"Lucy? Are you alright today?"

"Oh, Nigel. I had the absolute worst dream last Thursday! Gumball and Darwin were zombies, and they infected the school, and you and me! It was like some bad cartoon episode."

"Don't worry, snookums, it's just a dream. You sound like you need one of my special hugs…"

The three boys stuck their tongues out in disgust and left quickly. A few hallways later, and the Watterson boys were just about to give up. Gumball tugged at Dave's arm.

"Dude, maybe Jack is at the bus stop already."

His brother just wanted to go home.

"Yeah. How about we go back to-"

The bear showed off his claws.

"We aren't leaving until we find my friend."

Gumball and Darwin held each other, scared. Dave put his claws away. Just then, Dave heard something suspicious. He turned his head in the direction it came from.

"What was that?"

All three remained quiet as the sound went out again. Dave started to stomp towards where he thought it was.

"That sounds like to me that it's coming from the locker room."

Gumball felt like he had to ask.

"How do you know?"

"Because it's got an echo. Only a few places in this school have an echo like that, and it's not coming from the gym or the library."

The brothers didn't question Dave's logic. They followed him to the doors of the girls' locker room. Darwin's eyes widened.

"Dude, we can't go in there! It's the-"

"I know what it is."

It was obvious what the sound was now - a scream. A few pleas to stop. And some strange cracking noise. Dave was getting restless. He wanted to barge right in. But he figured it would've been a bad idea.

"Okay, you two, here's the plan. Whoever's doing this to Jack doesn't know we're here. We've got the element of surprise with us."

Dave knew that the boys would likely ruin it all. But a failed effort is better than no effort.

Slowly, Dave opened the door, tip-toeing, trying to make as little noise as possible. The Watterson boys were right behind, scared for their own skins. The source of the screaming was a short distance away while the boys crept through the locker room. A voice that was instantly recognizable spoke out.

"That's right. Cry. No one'll hear you."

Gumball rushed towards the corner he heard it from, despite the other two's motions not to.

"Penny!?"

He gasped aloud. Penny was there, as was Jack. Penny was clutching a whip in her hands. Jack was in a terrible state; his hands were cuffed underneath the bench, and his legs were tied together with rope. And his eyes weren't hateful; they were more like broken. There were tears forming, which Gumball didn't think was possible.

"Penny? What's going on?"

The other boys came around right when Penny dropped the whip. She struggled for an explanation, which was almost pointless.

"Uh, uh, he was like this when I got here!"

She bolted away before any of the three could move in for her. Now there were Gumball, Darwin, Dave, and Jack. Dave stared at his friend in the eyes.

"Dude, you look awful."

Dave moved closer to see why his sweater was rolled up. He jumped back when he saw it.

"**What the-!**"

His friend's back had ghastly bruises almost all over. There were even some cut marks. The bear couldn't believe it.

"Dude, we need to get you out of there!"

He crouched down to his friend, untying the knots which constricted his legs. Jack groaned in pain when he tried to get up, only to have his friend lay him back down.

"Don't move for a bit, ok? We'll get you some help."

Spotting the key to the cuffs underneath the bench, Dave grabbed it and unlocked the cuffs that bound Jack's hands together. The pink bear sat beside his ailing friend.

"You're gonna be alright, man."

Dave looked at the Watterson boys, who were still shocked. He frowned.

"What're you two dumb-butts standing there for? Get help!"

The two kids dashed out of the locker room. They stopped when they spotted Penny outside the door, sitting quietly on the tile floor. Gumball felt like he had a right to know after going through all this.

"Penny, what the heck's going on here!?"

"Gumball… it's tough to explain. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to hurt him that bad…"

"No. Why are you going out with _that_ guy?"

"Huh? I'm not going out with him."

"Why are you hanging out with him a lot, then?"

Penny sighed, knowing how hard Gumball was to please.

"Gumball, please don't be jealous like last time. We're not going out. I don't even consider him a friend, to be honest…"

"He's not a friend? What is he, then?"

"Um… please, please don't tell anyone. I don't want this getting out."

She grabbed Gumball's hand, hoping to lure him into her charm.

"It'd _ruin_ me. And I know you'd hate to see me like that…"

Gumball fought internally for approximately three seconds before coming to a decision.

"Yup. We didn't see anything. Right, Darwin?"

Darwin didn't feel comfortable with any of this. Penny beat up a boy really badly, and now his brother's asking him to forget about it on her behalf. He would feel guilty eventually about what he'd say, and he knew it.

"Eh… yeah. I didn't see anything back there."

Penny rubbed both of their heads in appreciation.

"Good. I knew I could count on you two. Now let's go, we can still catch the late bus at this rate."

_(Later)_

Dave fretted over his partner.

"Uh, stay right here, okay? I'll see if I can get some help."

The bear hurried out of the locker room, leaving Jack unaccompanied. Leaving the locker room, he spotted Principal Brown further down the hallway. He stopped Brown just in time.

"Principal Brown, I know this sounds weird, but I need help! It's my friend, and-"

Brown let out a deep breath.

"Your friend needs help? Did his head blow up again?"

"No, this is worse than that time. Just come with me!"

"_Or,_ how about the time you and your friend belly-flopped into the empty swimming pool?"

"This is _worse_!"

"Oh, I get it. Like that time you and your friend told me that 'Saudi Israelians' had contaminated our cafeteria's food? We couldn't eat for days after that!"

"That was a joke!"

"It wasn't a very funny joke."

"Just come on, you'll see what I mean! There isn't much time!"

Principal Brown inhaled deep.

"Fine. Let's see what happened to your friend."

"Okay. He's in the girl's locker room-"

Dave realized too late that he should've kept his mouth shut. Brown stared angrily at the juvenile delinquent.

"Very funny. I suppose he had an accident with a unicorn, too."

Principal Brown walked off, with Dave not even trying to talk him back into it. He headed back to the locker room, finding where Jack was at. He hoisted Jack over his shoulders, in a motion similar to a piggy-back, and pulled his sweater down over his injuries.

"Sorry, man. This is gonna sting."

The bear carried his buddy out of the locker room on his own. They were just in time for the late bus. Dave set his friend down in one of the seats at the front, with Jack stifling his urge to cry out in pain. Penny and the Watterson boys were in the back, trying not to pay attention. Penny wasn't concerned with Jack's condition, however. She was concerned about how she forgot the gear in the locker room. And so, the bus set off, the students inhabiting it changed for good.

_**{end chapter 4}**_

Sorry if the ending stinks.

Feedback is welcome.


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